Here’s how to use Huawei’s Phone Clone app

Huawei’s smartphones no longer have access to the Google Play Store due to a U.S. ban placed on the China-based company. As a result, any phone that the company launched after the release of the P30 series back in March of 2019 lacks popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, Google Netflix, YouTube and more.

So, for those who buy a more recent Huawei handset like the Mate 30 Pro, Mate XS or the P40 series, the answer is to get everything you’re missing is the Phone Clone app.

The Phone Clone app is available on the Play Store and the App Store. First, download the app on your old phone.

After you download Phone Clone, tap the ‘This is the old phone,’ button to get started. Following that step, the old phone will try to scan a QR code.

On the new phone during the setup process, your Huawei handset will ask how you’d like to set up your device. Next, tap on the ‘Phone Clone’ option. It’ll then require you to select whether this is the new phone or the old phone. Tap on the new phone option and select the type of phone you’re transferring from (Huawei, Android or iOS). The two handsets then establish a connection.

After the connection is made, Phone Clone asks what type of data you’d like to transfer over, including apps, contacts, message history and more. What’s important here is to make sure you download your essential apps. For me, this includes apps like 1password, Instagram and Spotify.

Huawei says the phone transfers 1GB of data per minute.

Once the transfer finishes, you should have all of your apps downloaded on your new Huawei handset.

What’s pretty good about Phone Clone app is that you can do this multiple times and not only when you’re setting up your device. So if you realize you’re missing an app, you can download the app on your old smartphone and go through the process again. It also allows you to update apps not available in Huawei’s App Gallery, giving access to important security updates.